


even after all this time

by islndgurl777



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23614498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/islndgurl777/pseuds/islndgurl777
Summary: 5 times Alexis missed Ted +1 time she didn't have to(A fix-it for Ted and Alexis after the finale)
Relationships: Theodore "Ted" Mullens/Alexis Rose
Comments: 26
Kudos: 134





	even after all this time

**Author's Note:**

> It's been almost a week since the finale and since we were given zero hope for Ted and Alexis in the future, I decided to write it myself.
> 
> Thanks to andrea-lyn for your feedback to flesh out some of the ending!
> 
> Title from Still Into You by Paramore.

1

“And how are things with the lumberjack?” her mom asks, taking a sip of her tea.

Alexis rolls her eyes and sets down her cup, head bobbing up and down in agitation. “Okay, first of all, his name is Mutt, Mom, you _know_ that. And he’s not a _lumberjack_ , he’s like, this super sexy, super outdoorsy...mountain man or something.”

Her mom raises a brow. “Is that what he would write in the front flap of his _autobiography_?” she asks, hitting the second syllable with a hard t.

Alexis’s brow scrunches because she doesn’t actually _know_ what Mutt does with all of his time, because he’s not the most open boyfriend she’s ever had.

With Mutt, she feels like she’s constantly _guessing_. She’s guessing about how he’s feeling, if he wants to do something with her, if he’s going to want to get together later. Because she has no idea what he gets up to when she’s not around. It’s not what she’s gotten used to lately.

When she was with Ted, he was always texting her when he’d be at work, and when he’d be free to go out with her, and when he could flex his schedule if she wanted him to. He was a very easy person to date, because she always knew what to expect with him. 

Her heart pounds harder and her stomach starts twisting the longer she thinks about Ted, so she pushes him from her mind and rolls her eyes again, refocusing on the Mutt conversation. “Oh my _god_ , Mom, we’ve been dating for like two minutes, excuse me for not knowing everything about him yet.”

Her mom narrows her eyes slightly and tilts her head, clucking her tongue. “Of course you don’t need to know _everything_ at this early juncture, Alexis, but as your mother, _of course_ I’m concerned about how your new beau might support your lifestyle.” She takes another sip of her tea and says, “The last one owned his own veterinary practice, did he not? Is the lumberjack a small business owner as well?”

Alexis narrows her eyes on her mother, exhaling sharply through her nose as she throws up her hands and says, “Ugh, _Mom_!”

2

“Are you sure you’re up for this, Alexis?” Twyla asks, closing her eyes as Alexis touches up her makeup.

“Oh my god, of course, Twy!” She blows lightly on Twyla’s eyes to disperse the extra eyeshadow, pulling away to look her over critically.

“It’s just,” Twyla says, eyes popping open. “I know you’ve been missing Ted lately. We don’t have to go out if you don’t want to.”

Alexis’s heart leaps just hearing his name, but she rolls her eyes and says, “Don’t be ridiculous, Twy. He’s only been in the Galapagos for like a week. Now look up so I can do your mascara.”

Twyla obeys, waiting for Alexis to finish before she replies. “Yeah, but I know it’s the first time you’ve been apart since you got back together. It’s probably really tough for you.”

Alexis caps the mascara and puts her hands on Twyla’s shoulders, mouth curved in a wry smile. “It is tough,” she says, ignoring the ache in her chest as she bops Twyla on the nose. “But I’ll be with him again in a few weeks, so it’s really not a big deal.”

Twyla hums, taking up the palette of eyeshadows and starting on Alexis’s. “If it makes you sad, it’s a big deal,” she says quietly.

Alexis’s breath hitches at the compassion in Twyla’s voice and her eyes flutter open, filling with tears. Twyla pulls back, setting the makeup on the counter and leaning forward to give Alexis a hug. “I went on a website to look up animal puns this morning,” Alexis murmurs into her shoulder. “I want to surprise him when we finally get a chance to Skype.”

Twyla pulls back, reaching down to squeeze Alexis’s hands, and smiles. “We can probably come up with some really good ones on our own, don’t you think?”

Alexis laughs and plucks a tissue from the box on her desk, dabbing at her eyes. Shaking her head she says, “Probably, but not tonight.” She cleans up her eyes and nudges the palette back toward Twyla. “You look too good not to go out, and I need something to take my mind off missing my boyfriend.”

Twyla smiles and nods, leaning in to redo Alexis’s makeup. “Tomorrow night? We can have a slumber party at my house, with lots of snacks and rom-coms?”

She knows the ache will still be there, but spending time with her friend might make it a little more bearable. She smiles and nods. “Okay. Thanks, Twy.”

3

“Can I get you anything? Water? A glass of wine? A couple of Mom’s pills?” David’s hand hovers over Alexis’s shoulder as he finishes tucking her in.

She snorts and shakes her head, reaching over to get another tissue from the box on her side table. “No, but can you just lay down with me for a little bit?”

He eyes the scant bit of bed available on her other side, mouth twisted in a grimace, but nods and says, “Yeah, okay.”

He kicks off his shoes and lays down on top of the covers next to her, hands resting on his stomach as they both stare up at the ceiling.

“Do you think we made a mistake?” she asks several minutes later, voice shaking. Tears spill over and she rubs the tissue over her already-irritated eyes.

David’s quiet for so long she wonders if he’ll answer her. Then, “No.”

A sob catches in her throat and she shakes her head, too tired to bother wiping the fresh tears. “But I love him so much, David.”

He sighs and grabs her hand, lifting it to press a kiss to the back of it. “I know, and I know he loves you, Alexis. That was never in question.”

She squeezes his hand hard as she turns on her side to face him, sniffling. “Then why wasn’t it a mistake to break up? Why doesn’t it _feel_ like it was the right decision?” She presses her free hand to her chest, as if it would make her heart hurt less.

David squeezes back and says softly, “It wasn’t a mistake because your lives are moving in different directions, and it was getting too difficult to reconcile that. It doesn’t feel right because, even if it will be good for both of you in the long run, you still had to give up on something you’ve been building together for years. You still had to give up someone you love.”

A sob bursts out of her and she buries her head in David’s shoulder, curling into his side as small as she can. “I miss him, David.” She misses the sound of his voice and the feel of his warmth next to her at night and the little crinkles next to his eyes when he smiles and the scratch of his beard on her neck when he tucks his head there to sleep and--

“Shhh,” David murmurs, patting her back tentatively and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s okay, it’ll be okay.”

Alexis shakes her head, because it really doesn’t feel like it will be.

4

“Your speech was beautiful, by the way,” Stevie says, nudging Alexis’s arm as they watch David and Patrick sway together in the middle of the dance floor.

Alexis shimmies a little, lips pursed in a pleased smile. “Thanks. Yours too. I especially loved the tears at the end. Gave it an authentic, I really do love these people feel, you know?”

Stevie rolls her eyes and groans. “I’m going over to Ray’s first thing to get that cut out of the video.”

Alexis laughs and softly backhands Stevie’s arm. “Don’t you dare. David will kill you if you erase that proof of your best friendship.”

Stevie groans even louder and slouches down in her seat, but she doesn’t argue.

Alexis giggles and turns her attention back to her brother and his new husband. They’re still dancing, even though the DJ’s already packed up and is getting ready to leave. All of the guests have already left, including their parents since they have an early flight, but David and Patrick are still celebrating, reveling in their new partnership and their love for each other.

She doesn’t think she’s ever seen David so happy, and her own heart swells with happiness for him. He’s so lucky to have found the person with whom he’s going to spend the rest of this life.

Stevie groans again and Alexis turns back to her. “What is it?”

“I ache all over,” she says, stretching back in her seat and closing her eyes. “This has been the longest day ever, and it’s nowhere close to being done yet.” She yawns, eyeing all the cleanup the two of them are supposed to be taking care of. “When I get married, I’m eloping. No muss, no fuss, no stress.”

Alexis props her chin on her hand, eyebrows raised. “Oh, so you’ve thought about your future wedding, huh? C’mon, give me the deets.” She winks twice and reaches over to nudge Stevie’s arm.

Stevie rolls her eyes again and stands up with a wince. “Sure, I’ve thought about it, idly, in an abstract ‘maybe someday’ sense. Haven’t you?”

Alexis stands too and they both start with the cleanup, even as David and Patrick continue swaying together on the dance floor. She exhales slowly as she says, “Never seriously, except for once.” She focuses on stacking plates and collecting the flatware as she continues, “A few months before Ted left for the Galapagos, I saw this gorgeous dress on Pinterest, and I could immediately picture Ted’s face when he saw me in it.” She looks up at Stevie and shrugs, a dull pang ringing in her chest. “Four hours later I had the whole event planned out on a Pinterest Board.”

Stevie tilts her head, dark eyes scrutinising her so intently Alexis immediately regrets saying anything. But Stevie merely nods and continues the cleanup, going into more detail about her hypothetical Vegas wedding.

Alexis lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, vowing to herself to delete the Pinterest page as soon as she gets a free moment.

It’s not like she needs it anymore.

5

“How’ve you been, Alexis? Settling in okay?” her dad peruses the menu idly, but most of his focus is on Alexis.

She shimmies in her seat and pulls out her phone, even though they’d just agreed they would have a distraction-free lunch. “Oh my god, Dad, look at this.” She pulls up a photo of a large cat, big and gray and scarred all to hell, and missing half an ear. She loves him so much. “His name is Bear, and he’s my new roommate.”

Her dad peers down at the screen, eyebrows raised high on his forehead as he says, “But sweetheart, I thought you didn’t like animals?”

Alexis scoffs as she takes her phone back. “Well, after living in a small space with three other people for all these years, it was difficult to go back to living alone. I didn’t want to live with any of my old friends, and,” she inhales sharply and says, “Someone once told me cats are the ideal pet for an independent spirit like me, so I went to the shelter and picked out the neediest, grumpiest one I could find.” She gives her father a bright smile and says, “It’s like living with David again.”

Her dad gives a little laugh and shakes his head, “Well, if he makes you happy…”

Alexis purses her lips and gives a single nod. “Definitely.”

“Then I’m happy for you and your new roommate,” he says with a smile. “What else is new with you?”

They order lunch and eat and chat the afternoon away, and she’s happy to spend the entire afternoon on it now that her parents are in California and she’s in New York.

They’re finishing up dessert when her dad tentatively smiles and says, “And are you seeing anyone?”

Alexis, who had recognized that he was winding his way around to asking, pokes at her ice cream and shakes her head, not looking at him. “No, I’m not seeing anyone.”

She can feel him watching as she swirls her spoon through her melting dessert, until he finally takes a breath and says slowly, “And that’s… alright?”

Her lips twitch as she finally looks up at him and nods. “It’s great, Dad. I’m not--” She huffs and shakes her head, shrugging. “I’m not ready for anything like that anyway.”

“Oh?” he says, raising a brow and fidgeting with his own ice cream spoon.

She nods once, scooping up a large spoonful and watching it dribble back down into the bowl. “I know it’s been a while since Ted, but I’m just not over him yet. I…” Her forehead scrunches up as she looks back up at her dad. “I think he was like, the love of my life, and I think it will take a lot longer to get over him than I thought.” Her lips twist. “Like never, probably.”

Her dad sighs heavily and reaches out to take her free hand. “I’m sorry, honey.”

She squeezes his hand in thanks and smiles. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt nearly so much anymore, but I’ve realized… there’s just no one who compares, and I’m not to the point where I care to find out differently. I’m okay being alone.”

As she says it, she acknowledges the pang of guilt for her sliver of a lie, but smiles and doesn’t let her dad see it. Even if she’s not quite as okay being alone as she says she is, she has to believe she’ll be okay with it one day.

+1

“Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane right now?” Alexis asks as she picks up her phone, double checking the time on her watch. She pulls her phone away to check the time on it as well, just to make sure she set her watch to the correct time when she reset all her clocks during her move to L.A. It would be so her, given all the shit she’s given David over the past few weeks for forgetting there’s now a time difference between them and Facetiming her before she’s put on any makeup. 

“Do you want the great news or the bad news?” Patrick asks.

She drops onto the couch with a huff, reaching over to run a hand down Bear’s back as she says, “Bad news first.”

“We’re not coming until tomorrow.”

“What?!” She leaps up and starts pacing, ignoring Bear’s indignant yowl as she circles the coffee table. “But today’s my birthday, Patrick! You guys said you were going to be here for my birthday! Mom and Dad already made plans for tonight because I said I wanted to spend the evening with you two! And now I have to spend the night of my birthday _alone_?”

“Well that’s the great news!” he says, and she can hear the smile in his voice. “We’ve sent your birthday present ahead, and you should be exci _ted_ to receive it any minute now!”

Her eyes narrow and she says, “Patrick, we’ve talked about appropriate gift-giving, and sex toys from your brother-in-law are not appropriate!”

“Ew, no!” he says, sputtering. “Alexis, it’s not a sex toy!” He pauses, then clears his throat. “It’s something I think you’ll be very enchan _ted_ by.”

“Drugs are also not an appropriate birthday gift at this point in my life, Patrick!” There’s a knock on her front door and she starts toward it.

His voice squeaks as he says, “It’s not drugs either! Jeez, Alexis!”

She starts unlocking the door as she says, “Well, if it’s not you guys and it’s not some weed or a vibrator what else could it possibly--” She sucks in a breath as she opens the door and sees him. “Ted?”

“Happy birthday, Alexis,” she vaguely hears Patrick say before she hangs up on him, shoving her phone in her pocket.

“Hi,” Ted says, giving a little wave from her doorstep, a small smile quirking his lips.

“Hi,” she breathes out, eyes wide as she looks him over. He’s tanned and muscular and gorgeous, and he’s standing on her front step with two huge suitcases behind him. “What-- What are you doing here?” she asks. A second later she shakes her head and says, “Nevermind, I don’t care,” and leaps forward to throw her arms around him, burying her head in his neck. “I’ve missed you,” she whispers.

His arms come around her to squeeze her tight. She shivers when she feels him press a kiss into her hair and say, “I’ve missed you too.”

They stand like that for several minutes, holding each other in the doorway, until she finally leans back. His arms slide down to rest on her hips and hers slide down his arms. She smiles and lets out a giddy laugh as she says, “Okay, I know I said I didn’t care, but I definitely do. What are you _doing_ here?” She squeezes his arms, just to make sure he’s real.

He smiles, and there are the little crinkles around his eyes! She’s missed them so much! “Well, my contract ended and I realized I was really homesick. I went back to Schitt’s Creek, but you weren’t there so it didn’t really feel like home anymore, so I decided to come to L.A.”

Her breath hitches as she absorbs what he’s saying, eyes searching his. “You’re finished in the Galapagos?”

“I am,” he nods.

“You’re…” She swallows hard, hoping she’s not wrong. “Moving to L.A.?”

His smile dims and he leans away from her a little, shifting nervously in place. Her heart stops. He sighs and says, “I _could_. I have a friend from school who’s got a practice in the city, and one of the guys I worked with in the Galapagos is working on finding funding for a conservation project here, so I’ve got options. But I didn’t want to assume, even though everyone said you’d be okay with it, but if you’d rather I didn’t, I won’t. I can find something somewhere else.”

She shakes her head and her grip on him tightens. “Wait, you _want_ to move here?”

Ted leans forward again to place his forehead on hers. “Alexis, I want to move wherever you are.” She has to take another minute to absorb that and he asks, voice tentative, “Is that okay?”

Alexis closes her eyes and breathes out slowly, nodding her head and knocking her forehead against his. “That is... more than okay, Ted.”

She pulls him in for a long, slow kiss. Her heart races to have him here with her after missing him for so long, and it sings with the knowledge she won’t ever have to miss him again. She pulls away from the kiss to hug him again, burying her face in his shoulder and breathing deep. She’d been happy learning how to be by herself in New York, and she’s happy with her new company out here in L.A., but with Ted here, she finally feels complete.


End file.
